Demon War
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: Phoebe has a premonition of a young girl in danger from multiple demons at the same time. When the girls go to protect the young girl they walk into the middle of a demonic war.
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED "Demon War"  
By J. B. Tilton email: Rating: K+ (for mild language) 

Disclaimer: "Charmed" and all related characters and events are the property of the WB television network, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

(Authors note: This story takes place between season 5 episodes "The Day The Magic Died" and "Baby's First Demon".

For those readers not familiar with the character Michael in this story, you can find out about him in my story "Balance Of Power". Michael is my own creation and has appeared in several of my stories as a recurring character.)

Phoebe has a premonition of a young girl in danger from multiple demons at the same time. When the girls go to protect the young girl they walk into the middle of a demonic war.

ONE

Piper looked at her newborn son lying in his crib sleeping. He looked so peaceful. It was hard to imagine he had powers that would rival even those of the Charmed Ones. Or any demon in the underworld. To all outward appearances he looked like any other child sleeping in his crib. Leo came in and put his arm around Piper.

"He seems to be doing okay," said Leo.

"Yeah," said Piper, laying her head on his shoulder. "And to think just a few days ago he wasn't even here. I'm just glad dad's new wife wasn't successful. I could have lost him before I even got a chance to know him."

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Leo asked.

"No," said Piper. "It's hard to decide. There are so many good names. I'm not even sure what his last name will be. Should it be Halliwell or Wyatt? The Halliwell women don't change their last names when they get married, but what about their sons? What's the protocol for that?"

"Well, that was actually your grandmothers' doing," said Leo. "She wouldn't let your mother change her last name when she got married and it was just handed down to you guys. As for male offspring, that's not a real common occurrence in the Warren line."

"I know," said Piper. "I never thought choosing a name could be so difficult. Especially since he's a boy. I just knew I was going to have a girl."

"Well, as for a last name," said Leo, looking at his son sleeping peacefully, "I think you should stay with Halliwell. Evil fears it and good respects it."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked. "He is your son, you know?"

"I know," said Leo. "But I think that's best."

"Okay, done," said Piper. "Now I just have to come up with a first and middle name."

"Still working on names?" Paige asked, coming into the nursery.

"Yeah," said Piper. "This is harder than I thought it was going to be."

"Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something," said Paige. "He's just so adorable. I could watch him for hours. I never had any brothers or sisters so having a baby in the house is something new for me."

"Uh oh," said Leo. "I'm being summoned. It sounds urgent. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay," said Piper kissing him.

Leo orbed out of the nursery and Piper and Paige headed downstairs. Phoebe was downstairs going through the dozens of letters she got each week trying to decide which one to use for her column. She looked up and smiled as Piper and Paige came into the living room.

"How's my nephew?" she asked. "What was his name again?"

"You know good and well we haven't decided on a name yet," said Piper, not nearly as angry as she pretended to sound.

"Oh yeah, right," said Phoebe giggling.

"And he's sleeping like a baby," said Paige. "You should go see him, Phoebe. He's just the cutest thing."

"I will in a minute," said Phoebe. "If I don't find a letter to use for my column this week Elise is going to skin me alive."

"Can't find anything good enough?" Piper asked.

"Just the opposite," said Phoebe pulling another stack of envelopes out of a box on the floor next to her. "There are so many good ones I hardly know where to start. Some I can discount. I've answered similar ones in the past. Others are just frivolous. But there are quite a few that are really good. I wish I could answer all of them but there just isn't enough hours in the day."

"Sounds like you could use an assistant," said Paige.

"I have one," said Phoebe. "She weeds out the ones she knows I don't want to use. Still, that leaves so many I hardly have a chance to go through them."

"You'll find one," said Piper. "You always do."

"You read my column?" Phoebe asked looking through the stack of letters in her hand.

"Of course," said Piper. "You're my sister. I need to support you in your work. Besides you really do give some great advice. You were made for this job."

"Thanks," said Phoebe. "I really love it. I even get follow up letters from people I've helped telling me how much they..."

Phoebe suddenly stiffened slightly and closed her eyes. To an uninformed bystander it might appear as if she was in pain. But Piper and Paige knew that reaction quite well. It meant Phoebe was having a premonition.

"A little girl," said Phoebe after the premonition had passed. "She's in an alley behind a bookstore. And there are two demons stalking her."

"Which bookstore?" Paige asked.

"The one on Stewart Street," said Phoebe. "Across from the Starbuck's shop."

"I know it," said Paige. "I used to stop at that Starbucks to get coffee before I went in to work at social services."

"We'd better get there quick," said Phoebe. "I think it's going to happen in just a few minutes."

"What about the baby?" Paige asked. "We can't just leave him here alone."

"Right," said Piper. "Leo? Leo we need you down here now."

Leo orbed in with a confused look on his face.

"Piper, what is it?" Leo asked. "I was talking with an Elder."

"Chatting will have to wait," said Piper. "Your son needs a babysitter right now. Phoebe had a premonition of a little girl being attacked by two demons and we need to get there now."

"Oh, okay," said Leo. "You guys go on. I'll look after our son. I'll explain it to the Elder later. I'm sure he'll understand."

"We'll be back," said Paige as she orbed the three sisters out of the manor.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"I thought you said there were demons attacking?" Piper asked as they stood in the empty alley.

"There were in my premonition," said Phoebe. "One over there by that door and another one standing beside that dumpster over there. The little girl ran out in between them and one of the demons attacked her with a fireball."

"Well, all's quiet on the western front," said Paige, looking around. "Are you sure you go the time right?"

"I think so," said Phoebe. "The shadows on the ground seem right. I just don't understand what happened."

Just then a door down the alley opened and a little girl came walking out. She appeared to be about nine and seemed to be casually looking around the alley without a care in the world. Phoebe identified her as the little girl in her premonition.

"Little girl," Piper called out to her. "You shouldn't be out here. It could be dangerous."

"Oh, my mom let's me come out here all the time," said the girl. "It gets boring in that restaurant with nothing to do."

"I know," said Piper, "but you should really stay inside. You have no idea who might be out here..."

Suddenly two demons shimmered into the alley. One was by the door and the other was by the dumpster Phoebe had pointed out to her sisters. The little girl was directly between the two. The demon beside the dumpster immediately threw a fireball that headed directly for the girl.

"Fireball," called Paige, extending her hand.

The weapon began to orb to her and she immediately redirected it back at the demon that had cast it. It struck the demon vanquishing it in a conflagration. The sisters turned to the other demon. It simply smiled and extinguished the energy ball it was preparing to cast.

"Thanks," it said, smiling at them. "I owe you one."

Suddenly the demon shimmered and was gone. The little girl watched the entire exchange, then suddenly turned and ran as fast as she could back through the door she had just come out of.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Piper asked, looking at her sisters.

"He didn't even seem interested in us," said Paige. "I don't know whether to be relieved or annoyed."

"It's odd," said Phoebe. "That fireball didn't look like it was meant for the girl. It looked more like it had been cast at that demon by the dumpster."

"This is very weird," said Piper. "But at least we saved the innocent. I think we should get back to the manor so you can have a look at that letter that prompted your premonition."

"That's a good idea," said Phoebe. "They have to be connected. I'm just not sure how."

Before Paige could orb the girls out of the alley four more demons suddenly shimmered into the alley. Seeing the demons appear, the sisters ducked behind the dumpster, using it as a shield until they could get ready for the inevitable attacks.

Hidden behind the dumpster as they were, they couldn't see much but they could hear plenty. It sounded like a war zone. There were explosions and cries of pain coming from where some of the demons had appeared. Cautiously, Piper peered around the side of the dumpster. The sight that greeted her was confusing. The demons seemed to be attacking each other, completely ignoring the sisters.

"It looks like they're trying to kill each other," Piper whispered to Phoebe and Paige. "They don't even seem concerned about us."

"Okay, now that's annoying," said Paige.

Suddenly a demon shimmered in beside Phoebe. It glanced at the sisters but before any of them could react it rose up and cast a fireball into the alley. There was an explosion and the sound of someone - or something - crying out in pain. The demon then ducked behind the dumpster and smiled at the sisters.

"I figured they wouldn't suspect me of being here," it said to the sister. "Thanks for the cover."

Before any of them could answer the demon shimmered away. Piper looked at Phoebe and Paige in total confusion. There had to be at least half a dozen demons in the alley but not even one of them seemed interested in the witches. The sisters all grasped each other's hands as Paige orbed them out of the alley. The demons might be ignoring them for the moment but that could easily change.

"You're saying they weren't even interested in you?" Leo asked when they told him what happened.

"One was even sociable," said Paige. "Thanked us and everything. Then just shimmered away."

"That's odd," said Leo. "Before you called me down here the Elders said there was some unusual activity going on in the underworld but they weren't sure what it was. None of their usual lines of information had been able to tell them anything."

"Well, something odd is definitely going on," said Piper. "Maybe you should get back up there and find out what's going on. We can look after the baby until you get back."

"Good idea," said Leo, handing the baby to her. "I'll let you know what I find out as soon as I can."

"What do you think is going on?" Phoebe asked as Leo orbed out of the manor.

"I don't know," said Piper. "It's not like demons to totally ignore us. I know that a lot of demons hate each other. I guess with the Source vanquished there's no one around to keep them in check. Maybe some of their rivalries have flared up."

"But they were attacking without any regard for who might see them," said Paige. "That's unusual even for demons."

"That's true," said Piper. "Let's hope that when Leo gets back he can tell us something."

"I hope so," said Phoebe. "Having demons attacking us is not my idea of a fun Saturday afternoon, but having half a dozen of them shimmer in and completely ignore us is unnerving."

"We'll just have to wait and see what Leo finds out," said Piper, taking her son back up to his crib. 


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Nothing," said Leo after he had returned to the manor. "The Elders have no idea what's going on. And they can't figure out why the demons would simply ignore you. Every demon in the underworld has been trying to destroy you since your powers were first unbound. Now to have them ignore you like you aren't even a threat is completely out of character."

"Tell us something we don't know," said Piper. "You mentioned something about some unusual activity in the underworld. Any idea what that's all about?"

"Just speculation and conjecture," said Leo. "Nothing solid. The Elders have several sources that provide them with information on the underworld but so far none of them have reported anything. And it's not like a Whitelighter can just orb down there and ask. That would be dangerous for both the Whitelighter and the one he goes to see."

"Well I can tell you," said Paige, "I think I'd rather have demons attacking than ignoring us like they were. At least we know how to deal with demons that attack us. We just vanquish them. What do we do about demons who ignore us?"

"We vanquish them anyway," said Phoebe. "They're demons, after all."

"But why are they ignoring you?" Leo asked. "It doesn't make any sense. There are some well-known rivalries between certain demonic factions. But it doesn't make sense that they'd ignore a chance to kill you over those rivalries."

"Well, there's no Source," said Piper. "The Seer and most of the demonic leadership has been vanquished. So who's controlling the demons that are left?"

"Normally when a high enough level demon is vanquished," said Leo, "the next most powerful one just assumes his position. There can occasionally be some fight to establish their control but those rarely last very long. And the ones that take over have to spend some time organizing their new domains."

"That makes sense," said Paige. "Everyone has their own way of doing things. I guess it's the same for demons. They'd have to get their house in order, so to speak, before they can move on to whatever plans they have."

"That takes time," said Leo. "And with the number of high level demons that have been vanquished it should take quite a bit of time for the demons to get everything set up the way they want. They shouldn't be ready for all out attacks just yet."

"Most of them aren't," said a voice coming from the entryway. "But as you've seen, they're more than ready to take up old rivalries, some that have existed for centuries."

They all turned and saw a man standing only in the entryway. He appeared to be about Leos' age. He had dark hair and was wearing a dark colored robe. The type of robe that many demons wore. He was smiling as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Michael," said Piper, recognizing the warrior Whitelighter. "What are you doing here?"

"It's the first chance I've had to get away," said Michael, coming into the living room. "Since you vanquished the Seer and most of the demonic hierarchy the underworld has been in a bit of an uproar. And since the new Source seems to have vanished without a trace, things have gotten even more chaotic."

"You mean Cole," said Phoebe. "We had to vanquish him."

"I didn't think that was possible," said Michael. "After he came back from the Wasteland he seemed undefeatable."

"It's a long story," said Leo. "Michael, why haven't you reported to the Elders recently? They're concerned about things that seem to be going on in the underworld. None of their regular sources have reported anything but something is definitely going on down there."

"They can't report," said Michael. "It's one of the reasons I'm here. I can't go up there. It's too risky. My dual identity as Malevant is still safe but a lot of demons are watching me. Trying to decide which faction I'll ultimately side with."

"Faction?" questioned Paige. "What faction?"

"Demonic factions," said Michael. "A lot has happened in the underworld lately. I haven't been able to report all of it to the Council. After you vanquished the Seer and most of the demonic hierarchy, lower level demons began to move up the ranks. As Malevant I was able to keep some order. There aren't many demons as powerful as Malevant, but there are a few. So far, I've been able to keep them in check.

"Then, when Turner turned evil and became the new Source, things settled down quite a bit. The underworld had a new leader and most of the demons at least outwardly paid homage to him. Then you vanquished Turner and the chaos erupted all over again. When Turner returned but didn't reassume the role of the Source, most of the demons didn't want to push him. So there was a very uneasy truce.

"Now, Turner has mysteriously vanished. None in the underworld knows why. Even I didn't know until you told me just now. And the longer he's gone, the bolder many of the new demonic leaders are becoming. It's a common belief that he's not coming back. That means the position of the Source of all Evil is open for grabs."

"And the demons are vying for that position?" Leo questioned.

"Exactly," said Michael. "Until recently it's been confined to minor skirmishes in the underworld. Demonic leaders testing the limits of their new powers and positions. There hasn't seemed to be any one demon powerful enough to take the reigns of power and hold them."

"What changed?" Piper asked.

"That's hard to say," said Michael. "I can tell you that there are five major factions, each controlled by demons nearly as powerful as I am. Some of the demons are holding back waiting to see who I'm going to throw in with. So far I've been able to put them off. But I can't do that forever. Eventually they're going to demand that I back one of them. If I don't, they'll become suspicious. That would be very dangerous for me."

"What does that have to do with what happened earlier?" Phoebe asked. "We went to save a little girl from a premonition I had. About half a dozen demons showed up but they completely ignored us. They seemed to be more interested in going after each other."

"That's exactly what happened," said Michael. "A few days ago two leaders of rival factions had a very heated argument. It quickly got out of hand. Pretty soon there were fireballs flying everywhere. The demons ended up vanquishing each other. As is common in such fights, their lieutenants immediately assumed their positions. All of the lower demons all moved up to a correspondingly higher position.

"But it didn't end there. After the demons vanquished each other tempers began to flare on all sides. Pretty soon each faction was announcing that their leader was the new Source. But no faction has a clear advantage. So the demons are doing what demons have always done in situations like this."

"Try to kill off the competition," said Leo.

"Exactly," said Michael. "Only it's escalated far beyond anything previously known in the underworld. Virtually every demon has sided with one faction or other. I can tell you the one certainty in the underworld right now. It's all out war. A war the proportions of which have never been witnessed before. The underworld is in the midst of the worst demonic war in history." 


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"Demons killing demons?" questioned Piper. "Gotta tell you, Michael, I'm not seeing any down side to this."

"Normally, I'd agree with you," said Michael. "As Malevant I've often set factions against each other. But this time it's different. You saw what happened earlier. You walked into the midst of one of their skirmishes. Demons from at least two different factions trying to vanquish each other.

"But it's no longer confined to the underworld. Many of the demons have retreated to the mortal plane to give them some more fighting room, so to speak. And they aren't bothering to fight their war covertly as they've done in the past. Each faction is so set on their leader being the new Source they no longer care who sees them. And as you saw they're getting bolder in their attacks."

"Michael, this is bad," said Leo. "If the demons are seen by mortals it could expose magic to the world."

"Not only that," said Michael. "Mortals are beginning to get caught in the crossfire. The little girl you went to save is just the latest potential victim. There have been nearly a dozen similar occurrences over the past week."

"Have any innocents been killed during these attacks?" Piper asked.

"Not yet," said Michael. "Three have been sent to the hospital but they survived. They're injuries will heal in time. But it's only a matter of time before an innocent is killed. In the mean time demons are becoming more and more noticeable."

"Can't you do something about it?" Phoebe asked. "As Malevant, you're one of the highest level demons left in the underworld. Isn't there something you can do to put a stop to this? They want a new Source give them one. You could take that position. It seems to me you could do a lot more as the Source with all that power and authority."

"That's a nice theory," said Michael. "Except that as the Source I would be much too visible to be of any use to the Elders. As Malevant I've carefully incorporated the idea that I need to spend time alone to formulate my elaborate plans. That allows me to pass information to the Elders without suspicion."

"There's also another problem," said Leo. "Even without the Grimoire that we took from the underworld, the ascension ceremony that installs a new Source would instill all the power of the underworld in the new Source. Not even Michael could withstand that much evil being absorbed into his body all at once. It would instantly turn him evil."

"I thought you always said that being evil was a choice?" Paige asked.

"It is," said Michael. "But like anything, you can over dose on it. Ingest too much sugar and you can become a diabetic. Ingest too much alcohol and you can die from alcohol poisoning. Have too much evil introduced into your body all at once and any good in you is overwhelmed."

"I see," said Piper. "So going through the ascension ceremony would literally make you the Source of all Evil."

"Exactly," said Michael. "It has little affect on demons other than making them more powerful because for the most part they're all ready evil. That much evil would convert virtually any creature to evil in mere moments."

"Okay," said Phoebe, "so that idea is out. We have to do something. If this war continues much longer an innocent is going to get seriously hurt. Or worse. And eventually magic is going to be exposed. Can it get any worse than this?"

"Actually, it can," said Michael. "Two of the faction leaders have been espousing the belief that operating covertly has placed the demons at a disadvantage. Not like it was in the old days several thousand years ago. When people believed in magic and demons and witches. They've been rallying their followers by saying that once they become the new Source they'll put an end to all that."

"So if one of these faction leaders wins this war," said Leo, "they'll start open warfare on humanity."

"Yes," said Michael. "Actually, they may not have to. If this war continues to escalate like it's been doing they'll be exposed long before it's over. If that happens they won't have to keep their fighting under wraps. They'll start fighting whenever and wherever they want."

"Boy, talk about going from the frying pan into the fire," said Paige. "If that happens they won't be the only ones exposed. Witches will be exposed, too."

"That's right," said Michael. "Now you see just how devastating this war can be. If it doesn't end soon all beings using magic will be exposed. It will be total chaos. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, of mortals could be killed in its wake. This war has to stop now."

"We agree with you," said Leo. "The question is how?"

"Actually," said Michael, "it's less about choosing a new Source and more about the power and prestige the demon hierarchy possess. The more power and prestige a demon has, the more followers he has. The demon with the most power and prestige has the best opportunity of becoming the new Source unopposed."

"The one with the most toys wins," smirked Paige.

"Something like that," said Michael, smiling at Paige.

"Okay," said Piper. "Any ideas how to put an end to this?"

"Frankly, no," said Michael. "That's one of the reasons I came here. To give myself a chance to think. In the underworld demons are constantly coming to me for advice, guidance, or to see if I've chosen a side yet. I finally told them I had some plans to finalize and that I would return when they were finished. I'm hoping that by staying here for a few hours I can clear my mind and think of a way out of this. That is if you don't mind putting me up for a bit."

"Not at all," said Piper. "You've helped us out several times. I guess the least we can do is let you have a place to stay for a while. Just out of curiosity, is there any chance any demons will be coming here looking for you?"

"Not likely," said Michael smiling. "Malevant's hatred of humanity is legendary in the underworld. No demon would even suspect me of coming here. So at least you won't have to worry about that."

"Okay," said Phoebe. "You can use my room if you want. It will be private and you can think as much as you want."

"Thanks," said Michael. "I really appreciate this."

"No problem," said Piper. "Take all the time you need."

Michael headed for Phoebe's bedroom leaving the others in the living room alone.

"It must be hard on him," said Paige. "Personal advisor to the Source and now trying to keep a demonic war from erupting on Earth. He certainly has a full plate on his hands."

"Not to mention secretly funneling information to the Elders," said Leo. "Michael does a lot more than even most Whitelighters are aware of."

"Well, I hope he comes up with a solution," said Piper. "It's not a pleasant thought knowing that we may be outed by some demons."

"I'm sure he'll come up with something," said Leo. "Malevant's plans are legendary even up there. Some are risky but they are all quite brilliant. Michael was born for the role he's playing." 


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Michael had spent several hours in Phoebe's room since arriving at the manor. The girls and Leo had spent the time discussing ways Michael might use to end the war in the underworld. Nothing seemed to be viable. Fortunately Phoebe didn't have any more premonitions and no demons appeared either to attack them or looking for Malevant.

The letter that had prompted Phoebe's premonition was from a woman whose sister worked in a restaurant. The sister took her daughter to work with her because she couldn't afford a babysitter. The woman was asking Phoebe for some suggestions on how to help her sister.

"Well, I guess the woman was the little girls' aunt," said Phoebe. "That would explain the premonition."

"I guess," said Piper. "It's lucky you found that letter when you did. You did say there were other letters still in your office. If you hadn't brought that letter home with you that little girl might have been killed."

"Hey," said Paige who had been sitting at the desk thinking, "what about if Malevant vanquishes the leaders of the factions? That might put an end to this war."

"Probably not," said Leo. "Their lieutenants would just step in and take over. And from what Michael has told us that wouldn't stop the war. It would just change the leadership. The lieutenants would probably just keep the war going so that one of them could end up as the Source."

"Well, it was just a thought," said Paige. "Besides could even Michael take out five demons of that level? Remember when we first met Michael? He needed our help to stop those high level demons from working together."

"That's right," said Phoebe. "Maybe we could help him? Michael might not be powerful enough to take on five upper level demons but with a Power of Three spell we should be able to vanquish them. We could also vanquish their lieutenants. That would leave lower lever demons in charge. They might think twice before continuing this war."

"That's a pretty tall order," said Leo. "You're talking about taking out at least ten high level demons. I doubt they're just going to stand by and let you vanquish them. And demonic leaders usually have attendants and bodyguards. You'd have to deal with them, too. Especially with the baby now I think that's just too much for your guys to take on just now."

"And if we wait until a more convenient time," said Piper, "it might be too late. The war will have spread to the mortal realm and magic will have been exposed. Sounds like we're between the proverbial rock and hard place."

"Maybe not," said Michael coming into the kitchen where the others were sitting. "I considered many options just like you've been doing from the sounds of it. Most of them weren't very good. They all seemed to have flaws in them or were too risky."

"That's what we've been finding out," said Paige. "Every idea we come up with either involves vanquishing the entire underworld or having them turn on us instead of each other. Neither idea is very appealing."

"That's the same thing I've been coming up with," said Michael. "The problem is that many of the new leaders of the hierarchy have actually moved to different domains since you vanquished the Source the first time. Not all of those moves have been welcomed. Even some of the demonic leaders aren't happy with the domains they've been given control of. Many feel they would be better suited in a different domain.""

"Moves?" questioned Phoebe.

"Yes," said Michael. "As demonic leaders are vanquished or dethroned, as it were, their successors often entice demons from other domains to join them. This can lead to a lot of bad feelings among demons, as I'm sure you're aware."

"What are these domains you keep mentioning?" Paige asked.

"Well," said Michael, "for the most part, demonic leaders are responsible for certain areas. For example, Malator's domain is for those humans who were thoroughly evil in their lives. Serial killers, mass murderers, those types. Cartrack is responsible for teaching demonic children to use their powers properly and to act appropriately in their place in the demonic hierarchy. Every domain has a specific high level demon that's responsible for it."

"I see," said Piper. "Sort of like a department in a department store."

"Exactly," said Michael. "In the underworld they're called domains. And demons routinely move from one domain to another. Especially as high level demons are replaced for one reason or another. Some times those moves are voluntary. Quite often, they aren't. And that's what causes a lot of strife in the underworld. It's also what causes the demons to fight amongst themselves and not cooperate fully against good."

"Lucky for us they do," said Leo. "It gives us an edge over them."

"That's right," said Michael. "It also helps me as Malevant to cause strife and friction between different factions keeping them stirred up so they don't work well together."

"You implied you had found a solution when you came in," said Piper.

"Possibly," said Michael. "Do you remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget?" questioned Piper. "You had come up with this elaborate plan to do away with some high level demons that were planning to work together. As I recall, you even arranged for several demon attacks on us to implement that plan."

"For which I explained and apologized several times," said Michael.

"I know," said Piper. "I'm not holding it against you. I understand what you did and why you did it. I only mentioned it because you asked."

"Fine, fine," said Michael. "I think I might have found a solution to our problem. But it's going to take some planning and some work. And I'm going to need your help to pull it off. If it works, it should end this war once and for all."

"And if it doesn't?" asked Phoebe.

"That's the risky part," said Michael. "If we fail, we could find ourselves facing a dozen high level demons all at the same time. My secret as Malevant will most likely be exposed and we could find ourselves in a sort of mini war of our own."

"Okay," said Piper. "What is this plan of yours?"

"First," said Michael, "Phoebe will need to prepare a special Power of Three spell. I'll help you with it so that it will work properly. Next, we have to find a neutral location that the demons will agree to. Then comes the fun part. We have to get all the demonic leaders of each faction together in the same room. I can handle that. It's your roles that will be the most dangerous."

"We're listening," said Piper. "The way things are going this war is going to expose us all anyway. Whatever you have planned couldn't be more dangerous than that."

"Okay," said Michael. "Here's my plan." 


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

Malevant flamed into the underworld. He was no ordinary demon. He stood some seven feet tall and his skin was a dark green - nearly black - with bright yellow markings. The markings were vaguely reminiscent of the late Belthazor. His eyes glowed bright red like two piercing spotlights in the dark. He wore black robes with the hood thrown drawn to hide his features. In the entire underworld few demons were as respected - or feared - as this former advisor to the Source of all Evil.

Several demons stepped out of the shadows and surrounded him. They all looked very similar. Standing about six feet tall they were all a bright green color with emerald green hair that hung past their shoulders. Each had a tattoo on the back of the right hand that looked like three triangles with the points touching. As they recognized Malevant, all but one of the demons stepped back.

"Welcome, advisor," said the demon that stood before Malevant. "Shartan will be pleased to see you. He suspected you might agree to join him. He is the most logical choice to be the new Source."

"Fool," Malevant spat out. "I'm joining no one. I'm here to put an end to this foolish war once and for all. We are loosing too many demons over this petty squabbling. If you can't see that then you are as irrational as your master. Inform Shartan that I am here. I will speak with him immediately."

The demon simply bowed and then disappeared into a chamber behind him. Malevant looked at the other demons that stood guard over the chamber. Powerful demons capable of defending their master to the death. Yet, not as powerful as the one demon that now stood before them. Malevant had no cause to fear them. Even in such great numbers they were no matches for him.

The demon returned after a few moments and told Malevant that Shartan was ready to see him. Malevant turned and walked into the chamber the demon had just come out of. He gave no thought to the demons he left behind. None would dare attack him. They all knew the price for such foolishness.

Malevant entered the chamber and looked around. It was much like most of the underworld. Carved from solid rock it was the home of one of the most powerful demons in the underworld. A demon that nearly rivaled even Malevant's great power. But in the former hierarchy of the underworld, Shartan had occupied a place lower than Malevant. Shartan stood in the back of the chamber watching as Malevant entered.

Shartan looked to be extremely similar to those demons in the outer corridor. He was larger, however, standing nearly as tall as Malevant himself. He did not have the tattoo on his hand. That was reserved for his underlings. A sign that they belonged to him and that other demons should keep their distance.

"Malevant, it is a pleasure to see you," said the demon, smiling. "Greckkor told me you were here. I assume it is about my offer. Once I am proclaimed the new Source I will be in need of your advice and guidance. You were a great benefit to the former Source. I will need that benefit as well."

"I'm not here about your offer," Malevant spat out. "Your war with the others is foolish. It needlessly exposes us to mortals. And while you fight amongst yourselves witches are left unhindered. If this war continues much longer it will be the end of us all."

"I disagree," said Shartan. "Once this war ends, and I am the new Source, I will unite the underworld. Then we will put an end to all witches."

"By exposing us to humanity?" questioned Malevant. "How long do you think it will be before the humans find a way to protect themselves with their science and technology? All ready they have the means to detect us if they choose to. They don't choose to because they don't believe we are real. That is our greatest weapon against them."

"True," said Shartan. "But I long for the old days. When the mention of my name caused the humans' blood to run cold. Most humans do not even know my name now. That will change very soon."

"After loosing how many underlings?" demanded Malevant. "This war is too costly. Demons die at each other's hands. Demons that could better serve fighting the forces of good. How many underlings must you loose before you see the foolishness of this war?"

"What can I do?" Shartan asked. "I must protect myself and my domain. If I don't one of the others will overwhelm me. Would you have me simply lie down and play dead?"

"Of course not," said Malevant. "But this war must end. I'm calling for a truce. To be implemented immediately. A cessation of hostilities between all of the factions."

"To what end?" Shartan demanded. "And how long will this truce last? A day? Perhaps two? How long before one of the others decides to break the truce and launches an attack against us that could decimate our ranks?"

"The truce will be used to settle this dispute once and for all," said Malevant. "Even if you should win this war, how will you be able to command the underworld with your underlings vanquished? How will you even live long enough to rule before some other demon decides you are too weakened from the battle to adequately protect yourself?"

"You do raise valid points," said Shartan. "I remember the last struggle for a new Source. I was a young demon then. I saw many good demons die needlessly. But how will you put an end to this war? The others will never agree to a truce. They will see it as an opportunity to strike unopposed."

"Any demon that breaks the truce will answer to me," said Malevant. "Many of my underlings are still some of the most powerful demons in the underworld. It is one reason each faction courts me to join them. While the truce is in place my underlings will assure that no faction breaks that truce. And if one does, their leader will answer to me personally."

"I see," said Shartan. "That might keep the truce in place for a time. But what benefit will it do us? Once this war is settled, what will be the difference? The old rivalries and hatreds will still exist."

"True," said Malevant. "But what if you could gain a domain of your choosing? Say, the domain of souls acquisitions? You have always coveted that domain. Would you be willing to call a truce for a chance to become master there?"

"You could guarantee that?" Shartan asked.

"I guarantee nothing," said Malevant. "Only the chance to become master of a domain more to your liking. Without the need to vanquish half the underworld to do so."

"Interesting," said Shartan. "How will you accomplish this miracle? Torlock will not like being removed from that domain. He is quite pleased with it."

"That is my problem," said Malevant. "Will you call a truce for a chance to become master of a domain of your choosing?"

"Only if the others agree," said Shartan. "And you personally guarantee that the truce will not be broken."

"As I said," said Malevant, "any demon that breaks the truce will answer to me personally. Meet me on the mortal plane in three days. Bring your chief lieutenant with you. No more than that. There is a human warehouse on the outskirts of San Francisco. We will meet there and discuss the arrangements to end this war permanently."

"The mortal plane?" questioned Shartan. "Not in the underworld?"

"A neutral location," said Malevant. "So that there can be no trickery from any faction."

"A wise precaution," said Shartan. "Assuming the others agree, I will meet you there. But mark my words. If any of the other factions attempt to take advantage of this truce, I will use all of the resources I have to destroy them."

"Three days," said Malevant who simply flamed out of the chamber.

Shartan summoned his chief lieutenant to him to tell him of the truce and the meeting. 


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

Shartan flamed into the meeting place Malevant had told him about. With Shartan was his chief lieutenant, Maez. Maez looked similar to the demons Malevant had encounted outside of Shartan's chambers. As Shartan looked around he noticed the other faction leaders were all ready present. While each demon had their own specific form, the lieutenants looked very similar to their masters. A trait that identified specific groups of demon types.

Torlock, a demon with black skin and a set of huge horns sprouting from his head, stood near a large table. His chief lieutenant, Talm, stood next to him. Near him stood a demon named Lantier. Lantier was shorter than the other demons, being only five feet tall. His skin was a stone gray color with specks of gold covering his body. His lieutenant, Shock, stood behind him.

Teshick and his lieutenant, Cranlon, stood at the other end of the table. They were both virtually identical, standing well over nine feet in height. By far the largest demons in the room. Their skin was pale white and they had jet-  
black hair. Their eyes were a deep emerald green that seemed to glow even in the light of the room.

Near Teshick stood Camlore and his lieutenant, Daltar. These demons were of average height but much stockier than most humans. Their skin was a pale green and they were totally bald. In addition, they each had only three fingers on each hand that ended in razor sharp, serrated claws.

Finally there was Pilnok and his lieutenant, Kestlan. These demons were six feet tall and very thing, appearing to be nearly anorexic. Their skin appeared to be reptilian in nature and was varying shades of brown that produced a patch-like appearance. Forked tongues continuously struck out from their mouths similar to a snakes' tongue. They all looked around at each other as Malevant stood at the head of the large table in the room.

"Good, you are all here," said Malevant. "As I told each of you, we are here to put an end to this foolish war."

"How do you propose to do that?" demanded Teshick. "I agreed to this on your word. How do I know the others will abide by the truce?"

"Malevant has said he would guarantee the truce," said Shartan. "Do you doubt that he can maintain the truce?"

"Only if you keep your word," said Teshick. "Something most demons are not well known for."

"Enough," said Malevant. "I have called you all here to discuss this war. We all know that none of you possess the necessary power to become the new Source. And every day you deplete your power even more with these incessant battles with each other. We also know that this is not truly about who will be the new Source. It is more about the domains we all control."

"Some control better domains than others," said Pilnok, the serpentine demon. "Some have been relegated to controlling insignificant domains. Domains that produce no real power or authority."

"Each has his preference for a domain," said Malevant. "For some it is power and prestige. For others it is more a matter of being better suited for a particular domain. For still others it is a question of status. My domain is as an advisor and counselor of sorts. I have no quarrel with that choice. But the rest of you are dissatisfied with the domains you have been assigned."

"Why should we be assigned domains?" demanded Camlore. "The Source is gone. Even Belthazor has vanished without a trace. Why should we not be allowed to choose our domains?"

"Because you will never be satisfied," said Malevant. "You will always want more and more power. The Source maintained peace between the domains by assuring that each master remained in his domain. Now, with the Source vanquished, there is no one to maintain the status quo. To oversee all domains and ensure they operate for the benefit of the underworld."

"You have a point," said Lantier. "I will admit I have lost many good underlings in this war. More than I thought I would. But what are we going to do about it? None of us are going to willingly give up mastery of their domain on the chance we might get one more to our liking. I'm sure none of them trust me any more than I trust them."

"I have a suggestion," said Malevant. "I would suggest an arbitrator. Someone to decide which demon is best suited to rule which domains. Then each of you takes command of those domains."

"And how do we know we can trust each other to abide by the bargain?" asked Pilnok. "As Lantier said, none of us trusts the others. How can we be sure the others will not try to double cross us?"

"Because once we reach an agreement," said Malevant, "I will insure that each abides by the agreement. Those that try to take advantage will answer directly to me, personally. And I can assure you I will not look kindly on anyone that is foolish enough to go back on their word."

"That would be agreeable," said Teshick. "With Malevant watching our backs, as the humans say, I would rest easier moving into a different domain. Especially one I am more interested in."

"You mentioned an arbitrator," said Camlore. "I assume this arbitrator would be you?"

"No," said Malevant. "As I said, I am content to remain an advisor and counselor. But even if I were to arbitrate this agreement, there would be suspicions that I would have my own agenda in the assignments. And I would have to admit that would not be an altogether invalid assessment."

"You have someone in mind to arbitrate this so-called agreement?" asked Torlock.

"In fact, I do," said Malevant smiling. "Someone that, while he may have his own agenda, also has little or no concern for who commands which domain. He will be able to decide dispassionately which demon is best suited to command which domain. And he has my complete confidence as a fair and impartial arbitrator."

"Who is this arbitrator that seems to have earned your respect?" asked Shartan. "I know from personal experience that is not an easy thing to do. If you are vouching for him he must be someone of exceptional ability."

"He is," said Malevant. "And I'm sure you will all agree that he will make an excellent arbitrator."

"Let's see him," demanded Lantier. "I am curious to see just who you think we would all be willing to listen to."

Malevant didn't say a word. He simply stepped away from the door he had been standing in front of. As he did, the door opened and a man walked into the room. Every demon present gasped in astonishment. Malevant was right. This was probably the one individual in the underworld or the mortal realm that virtually every demon in the room would listen to. Standing at the head of the table was Cole Turner. 


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"The Source," gasped many of the demons in the room.

"I haven't been the Source for quite some time," said Cole, casually taking a seat at the table. "And to be perfectly honest, that doesn't really interest me much any more. I have other things to occupy my time. But I did live in the underworld for a hundred years. When Malevant contacted me and told me of his plan for me to act as arbitrator, I figured why not? There's no reason your underlings should be made to suffer and die for your greed."

"What trick is this?" demanded Torlock. "Belthazor is no longer with us. When he returned from the Wasteland he had no interest in resuming his position as the Source. It has been many months since anyone has even seen or heard from him. You're playing us for a fool, Malevant, with some shape shifter pretending to be Belthazor no doubt."

"I see," said Cole. "So, you're saying that you won't abide by the agreement we reach at this table?"

"No, I won't," said Torlock. "It's about time we stopped hiding in the shadows like frightened children. The world used to quake with fear at the very mention of our names. Most humans no longer even remember that we exist. It is time we returned to the way things used to be. When demons were feared and respected by the lowly humans as they were in times past."

Cole didn't speak. Instead, he simply raised his hand and Torlock exploded into a thousand shards that instantly evaporated into nothingness. The rest of the demons looked on in astonishment as they watched Cole vanquish one of the most powerful demons in the underworld. Cole turned to Talm, Torlocks' chief lieutenant.

"You now command in Torlock's place," said Cole. He looked around at the rest of the demons gathered in the room. "Anyone else want to express any reservations about me being the arbitrator?"

"How is this possible?" asked Pilnok. "Torlock was one of the most powerful of our kind. How can even you, with all the power you possess, vanquish him so easily?"

"This room is specially enchanted," said Malevant. "None of your powers will work here. You are as defenseless as any mortal. A simple precaution of mine to make sure that none of you tried to take advantage of this truce."

"Now," said Cole, "It's time to put an end to this war. I know each of you here. I also know which domains you command and which you wish to command. When we're done you may not command the domain of your choice. But I can assure you that you'll be happier with your new domains than you are right now. Anyone have a problem with that?"

None of the demons spoke. It was clear they all feared Cole. But many of them also respected him. Some of them had respected him since he had been Belthazor, mercenary for the highest bidder. When none of the demons said anything, Cole just smiled.

"Good," he said. "Now, everyone have a seat. We have some arrangements to work out and I don't want this to take all day. Well start with Pilnok. You've always been forced to command the least impressive domains. What domain most interests you and why do you think you're best suited to command there?"

Cole, and the rest of the demons, listened intently while Pilnok spelled out the reasons he felt he would better serve in another domain.

Shartan was the last demon to shimmer out of the room. The others had left only moments before, not totally satisfied with the results of the agreement but happier than when they had arrived. Each faction leader had agreed to call off the war that had been waging in the underworld. With a stern warning about the consequences of a double cross, Malevant had allowed the demons to exit the room, allowing them to shimmer back to the underworld.

"I must admit," said Shartan to Malevant, "when Turner walked into the room I was taken back a bit. I know how you despise humanity. You've even been known to vanquish your underlings that had the temerity to appear before you in human form. Seeing you vouching for Turner who had not even assumed a demonic form took me by surprise."

"A necessary concession," said Malevant. "Turner no longer has a demonic form. I also knew he was the best equipped to settle this foolish war once and for all. Believe me if I could have found any other way I would not have subjected myself to this. But what I did I did for the underworld. We must all make concessions if we are to achieve that goal."

"You know, of course, that the skirmishes will continue," Shartan said to Cole. "While the war may be over many of the others will still seek to increase their status and power. That will at times necessity demons fighting each other."

"But our secret will be protected," said Cole. "And we won't risk exposing ourselves to mortals. Magic will be protected. That's the important thing."

"I suppose," said Shartan. "I should be going. I have a new domain to organize."

"Just see that you abide by the agreement," said Malevant.

Shartan didn't say a word. He simply walked out of the room and then shimmered back to the underworld. After he was gone, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige entered the room and stood next to Malevant and Cole. Malevant suddenly changed form back to Michael.

"Well, the war is over," said Michael. "I can't thank you enough for all your help. Phoebe, that Power of Three spell that suspended the demons' magic worked like a charm."

"Too bad we couldn't make it permanent," said Phoebe. "We might have been able to make them powerless permanently."

"Well, with Cole's help," said Michael, "at least we were able to put an end to the fighting. Magic and innocents are once again protected thanks to the four of you."

Suddenly Cole changed form and Leo stood where Cole had apparently stood only a moment before.

"I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this to the Elders," said Leo. "I don't think impersonating a former Source of all Evil is what they had in mind when they gave Whitelighters the ability to shape shift."

"Don't worry," said Michael. "I'll help you explain it to them. When they learn why we did it I'm sure there won't be too many complaints. Besides, you helped protect innocents. Seems to me you did exactly what Whitelighters are supposed to do even if your methods were a bit unorthodox."

"I suggest we get out of here while we can," said Piper. "Some of those demons may be hanging around. If they find out we tricked them we could find ourselves in the middle of a fight and I'm not interested in that."

"Good idea," said Michael. "Let's get back to the manor. We should be safe there."

Together, Michael and Leo orbed the entire group back to the manor. 


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

"Back so soon," said a woman coming down the stairs when the group appeared in the living room

The woman was holding Leo and Piper's son. The woman was wearing a white dress. Her golden hair hung below her shoulders. She appeared to be about Piper's age; perhaps a little older. She stood smiling at the three sisters. Her name was Matilda and she was a senior Whitelighter on the Whitelighter Council. The Council just below the Elders that helped to decide which humans became Whitelighters when they died.

"Yeah," said Piper taking the baby. "Thanks for watching the baby. I felt better with someone like you here while we went to stop this demonic war."

"My pleasure," said Matilda. "He's adorable. I'm honored you asked me to baby sit. I'm flattered you have such confidence in me."

"Well, you did help us out a while back," said Paige.

"Still," said Matilda, "being asked to watch this little fellow is a great honor. Well, I need to be getting back up there. Michael, I'll see you later."

"Sure thing," said Michael, smiling at Matilda.

Matilda orbed out of the manor leaving the others alone.

"Well, that's a first for us," said Piper. "We actually worked out problems for demons so the underworld will operate more smoothly. Why do I feel this is going to come back to bite us in the ass eventually?"

"Believe it or not," said Michael, "by doing what we did we've assured that the demons will continue to fight amongst each other for a long time to come,"

"Just how do you figure that?" asked Phoebe.

"Think about the long term affects of that war," said Michael. "Eventually one of those faction leaders would have won. The rest would have been vanquished. At their level the remaining demons in the underworld wouldn't have had a chance against them. They would, in effect, have become the new Source of all Evil.

"That would leave him in total control of the underworld. No demon would have dared oppose him. He would have organized the underworld to further his plans. That would have all the demons working together at his beck and call. Something that is unheard of in the underworld in its entire history."

"I see," said Paige. "So by stopping this war we've actually kept the demons in the underworld at each others throats?"

"Exactly," said Michael. "The demons in charge right now are roughly equivalent in power. None has a clear advantage. Oh, they'll abide by the agreement. But they'll also still try to increase their power when they see a chance. But they won't resort to open warfare like they were. The underworld is pretty much the way it was before this war erupted."

"One thing I don't understand," said Leo. "You told Piper to be prepared to vanquish Torlock before the meeting even started. How did you know it would be Torlock that would refuse to cooperate?"

"I've been in the underworld for nearly a hundred years," said Michael. "There aren't many demons I don't know at least something about. Torlock is one of the most visible. He was so adamant about not keeping our secret that I knew not even Turner would be able to control him. Torlock often opposed the old Source openly. So I knew he'd be the one to initially refuse to cooperate."

"And by vanquishing him as I did," Piper said, "it helped bring the others in line."

"Right," said Michael. "Since Turner has been missing in action a lot of the demons feel they can pretty much do as they want. This little demonstration just helped to reinforce that there is a demon capable of dealing with them. A Source in abstentia, so to speak. They'll think twice before starting another war in the future."

"Won't some demon eventually decide they should be the new Source?" Paige asked. "Our experience has taught us that demons are rarely satisfied with their positions. They want to gain more power and more prestige."

"Yes, eventually there will be a demon that will think they can become the new Source," said Michael. "When that happens there might be a struggle. But it won't escalate into anything like this war. It will be the normal struggle the underworld is used to."

"Good," said Leo. "I was afraid those demons would go after each other despite the fact they thought Cole was sitting right there."

"His reputation has spread throughout the underworld," said Michael. "Every demon knows how powerful he was when he came back from the Wasteland. They knew he was virtually unvanquishable. Plus, with that Power of Three spell that the girls put on that room they didn't have any powers. And most of them haven't engaged in physical altercations in decades. Once Piper blew Torlock up they became even more hesitant. You were in no danger. Besides, you're a Whitelighter. There really wasn't anything they could do to cause you any permanent harm."

"There is a down side to this," said Phoebe. "Now that this war is over we can expect the demons to start coming back after us. Even as unsettling as it was having the demons ignore us to go after each other it was kind of refreshing not to have to worry about them trying to kill us for a change."

"Yes, I'm afraid that's going to continue," said Michael. "But I'm sure you can handle it. You've proven you can handle yourselves more times than I can count."

"Thanks for the help, Michael," said Piper. "At least this time we didn't have to worry about fighting for out lives. All we had to do was stay hidden in that back room while Leo worked out the arrangements."

"That wasn't difficult," said Michael. "Leo was all ready aware of a lot of it. Like which demons commanded which domains. And I was familiar with which demons wanted a different domain. A little coaching beforehand and some prompting during the negotiations and Leo was able to persuade them he actually was Cole Turner. And like Shartan said, they may not be completely happy with the settlement but they can live with it. Plus we were able to dispose of a senior demon in the process. Always an added bonus no matter what the situation.

"Well, I should get going. Leo, I'm going to let the Elders know what we did. And I'll explain to them your role in it so they shouldn't have too many questions for you. They know that a lot of my plans are rather unorthodox. But my record speaks for itself. Besides, technically I don't answer to them. Like Paige, they never made me a Whitelighter. I was born this way."

"Thanks, Michael," said Leo. "That will make it a lot easier."

"The Charmed One negotiating a peace between demons," said Paige after Michael had orbed out. "I would never have thought it would happen in a million years."

"Neither would I," said Piper. "But there are a lot of things we've done the past few years I never would have thought we'd be doing. Well, I think the baby needs to be fed. And it's way past his bedtime."

"I'll be back in a bit," said Leo. "Like Michael said the Elders are going to want my take on all this."

"Well," said Phoebe to Paige, "let's go get some ice cream. After all this I think we deserve a reward."

"Now that's an assignment I can handle," said Paige.

"Don't eat all of it," said Piper heading for the stairs. "As soon as I put the baby down I'm going to want a bowl myself."

"I'll orb over to the market on my way back and make sure we have enough," said Leo. "Rocky road good enough for everyone?"

The End

(Author's endnote: I created the characters of Michael and Malevant for a story entitled "Balance Of Power". Michael and Malevant are actually the same person. His mother was a Whitelighter and his father was a demon. Michael, as Malevant, was a senior advisor to the Source of all Evil and funnels information to the Elders on demonic plans and activities. For a full description and explanation please refer to "Balance Of Power" found on most websites where this story is also posted.)

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more "Charmed" stories at my website, You can also post your own "Charmed" stories if you like to write fan fiction. 


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